Years Too Late (Part 1)
by Davin Nation
Summary: Post- "The Gift" only Dawn's blood was never shed. Buffy's Dad, Hank comes to claim Dawn and make some trouble for the Slayer! (If you get a Story not Found thing, it's because I had to remove it and re-upload it cause fanfiction.net keeps messing up my


Buffy the Vampire Slayer   
"Years Too Late"   
Written By: [Davin Nation][1]   
  
~Disclaimer~   
I am not a part of Buffy, I have no connections to the show. The characters featured in this work of fiction are soul property of the creator of BtVS, Joss Whedon.   
  
~Summary~   
What if Dawn's blood was never shed and Buffy got there in time to stop Doc? The house is now in Buffy's name and she is the legal guardian of Dawn. But now, her father Hank wants to take that away by claiming Dawn. However the family can never forgive the pain he has caused them.   
  
  
CHAPTER ONE - Breakfast is Ruined   
  
She layed in her bed, still awake. Nothing could make her sleep. She knew it was almost sunrise. She heard the nightly crickets fade to the morning chirp of the birds, which she felt were both annoying. Why hadn't she been able to sleep, yet again? Maybe it was the thoughts running through her head. The past year had been the most defining in her life. She actually defeated a _God_! No previous Slayer has ever done that. What a year. Gain a Sister, Lose a Mom, Lose a Boyfriend, Face a God. She started to wonder, "Whatever happend to just plain Vampires?" The title says 'Vampire Slayer' but is that really accurate anym--   
  
"BLEEP!!!!!! BLEEP!!!!! BLEEP!!!!!!"   
  
Buffy slamed her hand down on the alarm clock. The sound of the very annoying beeping had startled her out of her train of thought. She pulled the blanket off of her and quickly got out of bed. Still not tired. She went in to the room down the hall to wake Dawn.   
  
Every time she opened the door to Dawn's room, she felt fear. She feared that she would open that door and see her sister laying there, cold, not breathing, eyes staring blankly at the sky. Just like she found her mom. However she was relieved to see Dawn roll over in her bed just as she entered.   
  
"Hey, time to get up!" Buffy yelled cheerfully.   
  
Dawn barely opened her eyes.   
  
"Buffy, it's Summer why are you making me get up?"   
  
"Because, that is the power that I have and I plan to use it."   
  
Buffy left the doorway. Dawn rose from her bed and looked at her surroundings. Her room was always her favorite room in the house. Hard to believe it's just something the Monks built. She tried not to think about that much these days.   
  
Downstairs in the Kitchen, Buffy was cooking up a storm. She had eggs and bacon frying in the same pan, biscuits baking in the oven, and two tall glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice on the counter. Dawn came down and was surprised to see what Buffy had been doing.   
  
"Whoa. Check out Buffy Crocker." Dawn joked.   
  
"What? Is there something wrong with me cooking breakfast for us?"   
  
"No, it's just.....you're taking on this Mom thing way too seriously."   
  
"Seriously is the only way to get it done properly."   
  
"I want to talk to you."   
  
"About what?"   
  
"About everything. We've never really talked about anything that's happend."   
  
"What do you want to talk about?"   
  
Buffy and Dawn sat down on the two stools by the counter. Buffy prepared herself, not knowing what Dawn might ask. Most likely a question she couldn't answer.   
  
"It's about The Key. Now that Glory's gone, and the time when my blood would've been able to unleash Hell on earth is long over, where does that leave me?"   
  
"It leaves you as Dawn Summers. Sister of Buffy Summers, Daughter of Joyce Summers and friend to Xander, Willow, Tara, Anya, Giles, and even Spike. That's who you are."   
  
"How can I be all those things when I don't even exist?"   
  
"Dawn, we've talked about this. You do exist. It doesn't matter where you came from. The memories that the Monks programmed us all with may be fake...but the feelings, Dawn....the feelings are as real as can be. The Key is neutralized, and that leaves you...as Dawn Summers.   
  
"Cool. I can live with that. Daughter of Joyce Summers?"   
  
"Yeah."   
  
"Don't you mean daughter of Buffy Summers?"   
  
"Maybe she means daughter of Hank Summers." Hank spoke.   
  
Buffy and Dawn jumped as they looked over and saw the father that abandoned them years ago.   
  
"Dad!" Dawn said as she ran over and gave him a big hug, of which he returned.   
  
"Hey Dawnie, it's good to see you!" Hank said with joy!   
  
Buffy, however was not very happy. She looked as if she wanted to snap Hank's neck, something she had dreamed about many times, despite her rule of not killing people.   
  
"What are you doing here?" Dawn asked.   
  
"I came to see my girls!" Hank replied.   
  
"Get Out." Buffy spoke silently.   
  
"What?"   
  
"Get Out." She said again.   
  
"Buffy..." Dawn began.   
  
"Dawn, please excuse us." Buffy said.   
  
"Why?"   
  
"Because I said so."   
  
Dawn rolled her eyes and went into the other room. Hank looked at Buffy with guilt in his eyes.   
  
"Who the hell do you think you are?"   
  
Buffy walked over to him and looked him straight in the eye.   
  
"I'm your father, Buffy."   
  
"My father?"   
  
"That's right. I've come to make it right."   
  
"You are unbelievable. You want to make it right? You walked out on us and you didn't write, you didn't call, you didn't even come back when Mom died!"   
  
"I know. And I know nothing I can do can make up for it, but I want to try. I'm ready to come back to my family."   
  
"Well I'm sorry, Hank. You're Years Too Late. The family isn't ready for you to come back."   
  
"Buffy, I'm still your legal parent, someone has to be here to take care of you and Dawn."   
  
"I'm 20 years old. I don't need you and neither does Dawn."   
  
"She's my daughter!"   
  
"She's _my_ daughter now. Get out."   
  
"No."   
  
"Get out, before I make you get out."   
  
"Buffy, I know I can never make it right by you. But you have to let me make it right for Dawn. You don't deserve to have to be her legal guardian. Let me take her with me."   
  
"You're not taking her anywhere."   
  
"I'm her father, Buffy!"   
  
"And I'm still all she's got! She's mine, and you're not taking her anywhere!"   
  
"Well...I'm afraid the courts may not agree with you."   
  
"You think you're going to just barge into my home, and claim Dawn?"   
  
"Yes."   
  
"Bastard. Get out of here."   
  
"Fine. I'm not leaving without my daughter."   
  
"You already did that, remember?"   
  
Hanks stormed out of the kitchen, and walked out the front door. Dawn came in and looked at Buffy.   
  
"What did you do that for?"   
  
"You know why."   
  
"He wanted to make it right."   
  
"He can't!"   
  
Buffy stormed out of the kitchen.   
  
***********************************************************************************************   
  
CHAPTER TWO - Defend You, I Cannot   
  
Buffy and Dawn walked up to the Magick Shop, not aware that Hank had followed them in his car.   
  
Inside, Giles and Anya were doing the inventory. The bell rang as Buffy and Dawn entered. Gloomy as ever. They went to sit down at the table.   
  
"Hello, Buffy, Dawn." Giles said.   
  
"Hey." Dawn said.   
  
"How is everything?"   
  
"Wonderful." Buffy began. "Our Dad paid us a visit this morning, he wants to claim Dawn. I think he's going to take us to court."   
  
"Should we worry?" Anya asked. "I mean, responsible young woman, major combat skills versus dead beat Dad who abandoned his wife and children. Personally I'm not worried."   
  
"That's a good point, but...I don't know, this whole thing just makes me so mad."   
  
"Plus she's mad that I think it would be cool if Dad came back." Dawn added.   
  
"You don't get it, do you? He came for you. If he leaves with you it's for good. He won't bring you back, Dawn. It's not a vacation with Dad. He wants to take you away from me!"   
  
The bell on the door rang once again, and in enters Hank.   
  
"I thought I saw you two come in here." He said. He spotted Giles. "Mr. Giles, good to see you again."   
  
"Mr. Summers." Giles said formally.   
  
"Don't do that! Buffy yelled as she stood up. This asshole wasn't about to make himself look good infront of anyone.   
  
"Do what?" Hank asked, innocently.   
  
"Don't come in here and act like everything's okay!"   
  
"I just wanted to tell you that we have a bit of a custody hearing next tuesday."   
  
"What?!" Buffy yelled.   
  
"That's right. I've come for Dawn, and I'm not leaving without her. I can be a good father this time, I can! She needs a father to love her and protect her. She needs me, can't you understand that, Buffy?"   
  
"You understand this, you bastard! She needs me! You can't protect her from..."   
  
"Buffy..." Giles warned.   
  
"Screw it." Buffy said. "You can't protect her from the Hell-God that might come looking for her one day! You can't comfort her because you don't know that she's the Key to opening other dimensions. You don't know that she's pure energy in human form, and that the memories that we all share of her are built. You don't know that. You're not me. You're not a Slayer!"   
  
An odd silence fell over the room.   
  
Hank revealed from his pocket a small tape recorder. It had recorded the entire conversation. He pressed the stop button, thus sealing Dawn's fate for sure. Buffy's eyes widened, and her anger grew.   
  
"Thanks, Buffy. That's all I needed. That little crazy outburst proves that you are not fit to be her legal guardian. And what the Hell is a Slayer anyway?"   
  
"You bloody Bastard!" Giles spoke.   
  
"You can't possibly be this evil." Buffy said silently.   
  
"I'm not evil, Buffy. I just want my daughter back. And it looks as though I'll get her. See you next tuesday." He said as he triumphantly left the Magick Shop.   
  
Buffy spun around and kicked the table across the room. She then ran back to the training room.   
  
"I really don't like that man." Anya uttered.   
  
"Neither do I." Giles said.   
  
"I do." Dawn said. "I can't help it. He's the only father I've ever known."   
  
"I understand Dawn, but believe me, he's not taking you anywhere."   
  
Giles went back to the training room to talk to Buffy. He found her there, crying a river on the couch. He came and sat next to her.   
  
"It's going to be allright, you know." Giles spoke.   
  
"How?" Buffy asked. "He's got me recorded saying that Dawn is The Key and I am The Slayer. I gave him what he needed!"   
  
"We'll fix this, Buffy."   
  
"The part that gets me, is that I can protect her from a God, but I can't protect her from my father! I can beat forces of darkness...but I can't beat my own flesh and blood." Buffy began crying harder. "And the worst part is...I can't hurt him! I could never hurt a human. I could have easily beaten him up and destroyed the tape."   
  
"No. You could never hurt a human being Buffy. You're a hero.''   
  
"Some hero. The court will never find me fit to be her legal guardian if he plays that tape. They'll put me away, and he'll take her away!"   
  
"We'll figure something out. We always do."   
  
"I wish he were a Demon. Then I could really beat the crap out of him."   
  
"Although it's true, you can't hurt a human...I can."   
  
"What?"   
  
"If Hank goes too far, I may have to take action myself."   
  
"Whoa....check out the Super-Giles." Buffy joked, wiping tears from her eyes.   
  
"I love Dawn." Giles began. "And I love you too. You know that. I would die to protect you both."   
  
"Even though a Watcher isn't supposed to get involved?"   
  
"A Slayer isn't supposed to fall in love with a Vampire and quit the Council. I'd say it's our breaking of the rules that's made us stronger."   
  
"Giles...when I first met you, I just thought you were a poorly dressed Librarian. Now you're the closest thing I have to a father."   
  
"And you...are the closest thing I have to a daughter. Buffy, you have evolved so much over the past 5 years. You went from a disobedient little girl to a very intelligent and mature woman. I know you and I know you will find a way to defeat the bad guy. Even if, this time the bad guy happends to be your father."   
  
"Did I ever tell you you're really good at these pep talks?"   
  
"No, but I do remember saying it to myself a time or two."   
  
Buffy laughed.   
  
"Come on, we should get back in there." Giles said.   
  
They stood up and left the training room. When they returned, Willow, Tara, and Xander had arrived.   
  
Buffy looked at Willow.   
  
"I could make him go away, Buffy."   
  
"No. No, we can't use magick to deal with this. For once I've run into a human problem and I don't know if I can take it."   
  
Everyone looked so unhappy and at the same time angry.   
  
"How can he do that?" Xander asked. "How can he just come here and decide that he wants to take Dawn away?"   
  
"He must be evil." Anya stated.   
  
Dawn stood up and walked over to face the group.   
  
"He's not evil! He just wants to make things right by me. He's my father, I want to live with him."   
  
"And what if Glory finds you?" Buffy pointed out.   
  
"Uh, Buffy..." Giles began. "You don't have to worry about Glory, she's dead."   
  
"The only way Glory could be dead is if Ben were..."   
  
Giles gave her a serious look.   
  
"Oh." Buffy said. "Okay, so we don't have to worry about Glory anymore, but still there are other problems to worry about. Other Demons that I have to protect you from."   
  
"I'm only in danger of being attacked by Demons because I live with you, and you're the Slayer. If I lived with Dad I wouldn't have to face that anymore. I could live a normal life."   
  
"Dawn, he doesn't...I mean..."   
  
"What?" Dawn asked.   
  
"I don't want you to go!" Buffy yelled.   
  
"But it would be better for me."   
  
"Not for me. I need you here, Dawn. I want to be the one to raise you. I want to see you go to high school, I want to see you graduate and get married and have kids. Dad could never appreciate those things. I want to be your Mother."   
  
"But you're my sister."   
  
"I'm not really your sister. But you are a part of me. They made you out of me, and I'm not about to let a piece of me go off somewhere with _him_. You're me, Dawn. You're the part of me that I don't get to be. You're a kid. You go to school, you do your homework, you talk about boys with your friends, you watch TV. You can graduate High School, you can go to college, you can get married and have a family. I can't. I can't, Dawn, but I want to see to it that you can."   
  
"So, you want to live vicariously through me?"   
  
"That's not it."   
  
"You want to take my father away?"   
  
"He did that Dawn. He took himself away. He left. I stayed. Through the worst possible times I stayed with you. He didn't. He was off with his secretary doing God knows what. I was here for you Dawn. You know that I love you more than anything."   
  
Dawn started to tear up before running over to Buffy and giving her a big hug.   
  
********************************************************************************   
  
CHAPTER THREE - Sleepless in Sunnydale   
  
Dawn layed awake that night, knowing that Buffy was doing the same. It just kept getting worse, she thought. There was a time in her life when everything was normal. She had a normal family. A wonderful Mom, a nice Dad, an annoying older Sister. Then, she finally pinpointed when it all went wrong. The day that her parents had divorced. That's the day it all started to go downhill. She lost her Dad that day. Then she had to move to Sunnydale and leave all of her friends in LA. Sunnydale Elementary wasn't the worst school, but it also wasn't the best. People thought she was a freak. Then, two years later Buffy runs away for a couple of months. She comes back and tells Dawn that she's a Vampire Slayer. Okay, weird. Then this whole business with Faith and all this crap that happends. Buffy's the defender of the world. But at least Dawn had stayed out of the way. Until this past year. This was the worst year. She founds out that she's the Destroyer of the Universe, loses her Mom and now her Dad wants to destroy everything and take her away from Buffy. She didn't even remember why she wanted to go with him in the first place. What Buffy said was true. If her Dad had loved her so much, why did he leave? Leaving Mom because they fell out of love she could understand. But he just left. He left all of us.   
  
Dawn stopped herself short of crying. She remembered that none of this ever really happend to her. It happend to Buffy. But _she_ remembered it. She finally concluded in her head that if these were her memories, then it really did happen to her. She remembers the pain, she feels it still. She suddenly began to get tired and closed her eyes. In a few minutes, she was asleep.   
  
  
Buffy had also been experiencing another sleepless night. More thoughts ran through her head. She began to remember things.   
  
She remembered back to when she was a little girl. She remembers their parents first fight. Or did she. She remembered, just then, that there was a part she forgot about. He hit her. Hank hit Joyce. She remembers her and Dawn were watching. If she was the Slayer then, she would've defended her Mother, but there was nothing she could do. He never hit her again after that, but it took everyone weeks to recover from it. Okay, no more dwelling on the past, she thought. What is she going to do about the tape recording? Say it was a joke? No, she sounded too sincere. If he played that in court, he would not only get Dawn, but she herself would be taken to a mental institution. What was she thinking blurting it out like that?! Next week, she may lose Dawn. She has that much time to decide what to do.   
  
CHAPTER FOUR - The Hearing   
  
Buffy opened the two swinging wooden doors and entered the large courtroom. She was followed by Dawn, Xander, Willow, Tara, Anya, and Giles. The whole gang's here. She met a glance with the man who called himself her father before sitting down. The gang sat down in the pew like benches behind the Slayer. "All Rise!" was heard throughout the courtroom. Everyone rose as the Judge made his apperance, then sat back down.   
  
"Good Morning, as I understand it, we have ourselves a little custody hearing over the rightful and legal guardian of one Dawn Marie Summers. Now, you've both chosen to defend yourselves, so Ms. Summers, let's hear your side of it." The Judge called.   
  
Buffy rose from her seat.   
  
"My Father, Hank Summers, came to my house, uninvited. He told me that he wanted to take my little sister Dawn away from me. He said he wanted to make it right by her. Then he shows up at my friend's store and tells me that he wants custody of her, and that he's taking me to court. I can't understand why, after 5 years he wants to make it all better, but that's irrelevant. Hank is not fit to be her legal guardian."   
  
"Why Not?" The Judge asked.   
  
"Track Record. He left us 5 years ago, leaving my Mom to raise two daughters on her own. Why should I believe he won't abandon Dawn again in a couple of years? He might leave her somewhere in Spain or something."   
  
"I see your point. Why do you feel that you are should be Dawn's legal guardian?"   
  
"Because I...for one can relate to her. It's not easy being a teenager, as we all remember. Hank can't relate to her. I've kept her well, I've made her go to school, I make her do her homework. I cook for her every morning. Hank never does that. Never. Who would you rather leave Dawn with? A responsible young adult, like me. Or a..." Buffy gave Hank a cold stare. "...Deat Beat Dad?"   
  
The Judge was silent. "All right, if that's all Ms. Summers..."   
  
Buffy sits down, not sure if she got the message across.   
  
Hank rose from his seat triumphantly, and gave Buffy an evil grin.   
  
"Nice Try, sweetheart." He whispered. He then had the floor.   
  
"Your Honor, I may have a history of leaving home, and I'm trying to make up for that. I may be a 'dead beat dad' as Buffy puts it, but I want to change that. I feel I am the rightful guardian of Dawn."   
  
"Why's that?"   
  
"Well, Your Honor, certainly you can't insist on leaving a 14 year old girl with a 20 year old who is unemployed and makes crazy out-bursts about a Slayer or whatever it was she called it."   
  
Everyone's anger rose. Giles had to stop himself from lunging at Hank and killing him.   
  
"Excuse me?"   
  
"I'd like to play this tape recording." Hank said as he removed the tape recorder from his briefcase.   
  
"Proceed." The Judge replied.   
  
Hank pushed the 'play' button on the tape recorder and Buffy's voice echoed throughout the room.   
  
"Screw it. You can't protect her from the Hell-God that might come looking for her one day! You can't comfort her because you don't know that she's the Key to opening other dimensions. You don't know that she's pure energy in human form, and that the memories that we all share of her are built. You don't know that. You're not me. You're not a Slayer!"   
  
Buffy's heart raced faster than ever. What was she going to do?!   
  
Hank stopped the tape recorder. He gave Buffy and evil glare.   
  
"Now Maybe..." Hank began. "Maybe that little outburst was due to the grieving period that Buffy has been going through. You see, their Mother passed away recently, so surely I can understand that her imagination may wonder, due to grief. But maybe not. Did you know, that during High School, Buffy was suspended several times for delinquent behavior? Joyce, the girls' Mom called me one night, about 3 years ago and told me that Buffy stormed out of the house saying that she was a Vampire Slayer. That was the last time I ever spoke to Joyce, so maybe the story has changed, I don't know. Nothing Further, Your Honor."   
  
Hank sat down triumphantly.   
  
"Ms. Summers....care to explain that little out burst?" The Judge asked.   
  
Buffy stood up. That's it, I'm going to tell this asshole off, she thought. She opened her mouth, ready to tell it like it is. Silence. She tried, but no words could come out. She kept thinking of what to say, but couldn't say anything. If she explains that it was just grief talking, then Dawn would still be taken away! She had to think of something quick otherwise she would lose Dawn forever!   
  
Everyone of the Scoobies anxiously awaited to hear how Buffy was going to defend herself. They each wanted to help, but they were speechless too. There was no way to defend it!   
  
The words from the Judge rang out like a death sentence.   
  
"In that case...I have no choice but to grant soul custody of Dawn Marie Summers..."   
  
Tears started welling up in everyone's eyes. Everyone but Hank.   
  
"...to Hank Summers. Ms. Summers I suggest that you see a professional therapist and we can..."   
  
But all Buffy heard was silence. She lost Dawn. She lost a part of herself. The Judge's words were unclear and muffled. She looked over at her father who was looking, almost apologetic. She turned to look at Dawn and a tear rolled down her cheek. Sound came back to her ears. She walked over to her father.   
  
"Buffy." Hank said.   
  
"Why?" Buffy asked.   
  
"Because I want to make it right. I want to make up for my evil. I'm sorry."   
  
"If you hurt her in any way....I'll kill you."   
  
"I don't want to hurt anyone Buffy. I just want my daughter back. And now I have her."   
  
Hank walked over to Dawn. She got up crying and looked at Buffy as if saying goodbye. Hank put his arm around her shoulder and they began to walk out of the courtroom.   
  
And this is when the Hell started. Buffy looked up just as her father was glancing back at her. He looked so apologetic and sorry for taking Dawn away from her. He looked so sincere. However, that sincerity was washed away by the evil and Red Demonic Eyes that now stared at her.   
  
CHAPTER FIVE - The Spell   
  
Buffy's heart raced faster. She lunged at her father! The Bailif tried to stop her, but she broke his nose!   
  
"Giles! He's a Demon!!!!" Buffy screamed running at him. Everyone tried to calm Buffy down. Giles looked a Hank. He didn't doubt Buffy but there was nothing they could do.   
  
"He's a Demon! He's going to hurt her! His eyes! His eyes were Red, Giles!"   
  
Hank smiled at Buffy as he and Dawn left the courtroom. Dawn looked at him in fright.   
  
"Come on, Dawn you don't really believe in Demons do you?"   
  
Dawn shook her head, lying. They left the courthouse, got in his car and drove off.   
  
  
Well this is just great Buffy thought as she leaned her head against the padded wall that cover the entire empty white room. There was nothing she could do to save Dawn now. The shot they gave her was kinda like the one that Giles gave her for that test for her 18th Birthday, only stronger. She could barely move. Mental Institution. What a wonderful end to the Slayer. When her strength came back, she had to get out of here. For Dawn. She knew Giles and the gang were on it. But they couldn't do anything without her there. She'd already been in here a day. Dawn was probably already dead. No. No, she would know if Dawn was dead. She would feel it. Dawn was still alive. And well. Did she really see his eyes glow red. Or did she want to see them glow red so bad that in her own mind's eye they were? She couldn't risk it. She had to break out somehow. She had to save Dawn!   
  
  
Back at the Magick Shop, everyone was in research mode.   
  
"Okay, I've got it." Willow declared. "We can scry for Dawn, but if Mr. Summers is a Demon, chances are he's already thought of that and cloacked her."   
  
"We still have to try." Tara replied.   
  
"Of Course."   
  
"Okay, but what do we do when we find her?" Anya asked.   
  
"I say we go after him and kill him twice." Giles stated in anger.   
  
"Right on!" Spike yelled.   
  
"I really hate him." Xander said.   
  
"I think we all do." Giles stated. "Right then, let's do the scrying spell."   
  
  
Moments later the lights were dimmed and the spell was set.   
  
"I thought scrying only involved a pendulum and a map." Anya stated.   
  
"That's a basic scry. We're trying to breech anything that might stand between us and Dawn." Willow replied.   
  
"Plus we're hoping to see if she's still okay." Tara added.   
  
"Okay, you guys grab your insence sticks and wave them around." Willow began.   
  
Everyone picked up an incense stick, lit it with the candle that was in the center of the table and waved it around. Willow and Tara closed their eyes and grasped each others hands. They suddenly found their minds flying through desserts and forests and mountains. Suddenly they spotted Dawn with Hank. They were on the beach enjoying fruity drinks, just hanging out. Wait, that can't be right. Indeed it wasn't.   
  
"We see Dawn and Hank. They're on the beach. Having a good time." Willow said, not believing it.   
  
"That's probably what Hank is making you see!" Anya added.   
  
"I don't doubt it." Willow said.   
  
Willow and Tara grasped each others hands tighter. Still, the same image.   
  
"Drop your incense sticks." Tara commanded. "Join Hands."   
  
Everyone did as she said.   
  
They formed a circle. They then all closed their eyes and saw the same image as Willow and Tara. The image started to crack. The real view was formed. A dark and dank basement. Dawn was tied to a chair crying. Hank looked up as if looking at the Scooby Gang.   
  
"You think you can stop me?" He asked.   
  
Then the image was gone.   
  
"We have to get Buffy." Willow declared.   
  
"How?" Spike asked. "She's in the bloody looney bin."   
  
Tara went up to the second floor platform, where the more potent magicks were kept. She returned with a book called "The Unseen."   
  
"What's that?" Xander asked.   
  
"A famous book." Spike replied.   
  
"What's it about?" Anya asked.   
  
  
CHAPTER SIX - Making a Break For it!   
  
Failure. That's the feeling that Buffy had. She failed Dawn. She could protect her from any other force of Darkness, but her own Father was a match for her. Was it her father? Did she really see a Demon in him? These thoughts and questions were making her crazy. Well...she was in the right place for that. She's glad they decided to let her out of the Quiet Room. When her strength returned to her though, she had to make a break for it. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the lock on the window clicking. It then opened.   
  
Buffy stood up.   
  
"Who's there?" Buffy asked.   
  
"The Ghost of Bleeding Christmas Past." Spike's voice rang out.   
  
"Spike?" Oh great, now I'm hearing things. I knew it, I am crazy.   
  
"Buffy, it's us, we're here." Willow said.   
  
"Will?" How do I know you're here and I'm not hearing things?   
  
"Undo." Willow said, making the whole gang visible again.   
  
"Whoa, how did you do that?" Buffy asked.   
  
"Invisibility Spell." Tara replied. "We're going to use it to get you out of here. You were right, your Dad's a Demon. He's got Dawn, but we don't know what he's going to do to her. She was very scared."   
  
"Then get me out of here, let's go. Wait! If I escape, they'll send the law after me, we have to figure something out to make them think I'm still here."   
  
Suddenly a thud was heard.   
  
"Sorry, climbing through windows was not programmed, can someone help me?" Buffybot said.   
  
"The robot?!" Buffy asked in anger.   
  
Xander helped Buffybot into the room.   
  
"Hi other me." Buffybot said to Buffy.   
  
"Well..." Willow began. "She..._it's_ helped us before."   
  
"If any of you think she's going on the payrole, you're sadly mistaken." Buffy declared. "Okay, Buffybot you can act sane right?"   
  
"Of Course. I'm all ready to fight evil and straddle Spike in a sane way." Buffybot said in her enthusiastic voice.   
  
Buffy looked at Willow in disbelief.   
  
"I'm kidding." Buffybot said in a sincere voice. Don't worry, I'll get you out of here. You go save Dawn, I'll pretend to be recovering from crazyness."   
  
Buffy looked at Willow again.   
  
"I've made some adjustments." Willow said proudly.   
  
"Kudos to Will, now let's get the hell out of here." Buffy said with a smile.   
  
Willow grabbed a small bag from her pocket and pulled out a glowy pill.   
  
"Take this and you'll be invisible." Willow said.   
  
Buffy grabbed the pill and swallowed her to make it go down. Soon, she became transparent, then vanished completely. The others did too.   
  
"You know, you really should market these." Buffy joked as they climbed out of the window.   
  
"Good Luck." Buffybot said.   
  
  
The gang got outside the window when all of a sudden they were visible again!   
  
"Or maybe not." Buffy retracted her joke.   
  
"Will?" Xander asked.   
  
"It wore off." Willow said with an innocent little laugh.   
  
"Well, it's night time, maybe we don't need it." Buffy added.   
  
"Okay, we have to get back to the Magick Shop." Giles ordered.   
  
And with that, the gang ran, making a break for it!   
  
  
To Be Continued...   


   [1]: mailto:wiccan1984@aol.com



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